Treatment of phosphorus



'% ACID EXPRESSED AS H 00- sepirza, 1944.

J. c. PERNERT I 2,359,243

TREATMENT OF PHOSPHCROUS Filed Aug; 15, 1943 M js H&i'1 so I0 I50. 200 250 300 350 HOURS 0 EXPOSURE TO OXIDATION INVENTOR JO I N c. DEQNERT Patented gepta 26, 1%44 i meant TREATMENT @F PEOSPHQRUSI John C. Per-newt, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignor to Oldhury ElectrmGhemical Co, Niagara Falls,

Application August 13, rest, Serial No; ceases 12 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of so called "red or amorphous phosphorus for the purpose of increasing stability thereof against oxidation. The. terms red phosphorus and r amorphous phosphorus used herein refer to the mine. with the phosphorus with a view to reducing.

the rate of subsequent oxidation of the'phosphorus, as when being shipped or stored in built;

and while such methods have been found to retard the rate of phosphorus oxidation, undesirably large amounts of alumina must be so employed to produce an adequate degree of stability against oxidation. That is, if alumina is so used in quantities suflicient to stabilize the phosphorus to a satisfactory degree, the product becomes so contaminated thereby as to be unsuited for the purpose intended; and if lesser quantities of alumina are employed the product will remain so susceptible to oxidation as to deteriorate rapidly unless protected against access of air during shipping" and storage processes, preliminary to its intended use.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical and otherwise improved treatment for raw red phosphorus; which treatment will effectively increase the stability thereof against the normal'tendency to oxidize, whereby during a given period or time much lower percentages of the p o ct Wm X dize to form acids of phosphorus, other conditions being the same. Another object of the in vention is to provide a p osp u treating method of the character referred to which will not result in undesirable contamination of the product. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification herematter.

In the drawing the figure is a graphical illustrationof rates of oxidation of phosphorus treated by various methods, under'similar oxidizing influences, to demonstrate the results of the invention. 1

The following areexamples of preferred methods of'pursuing the present invention, although some departures therefrom may be made with out sacrificing all the attainable advantages. Statedgeneraliy, the preferred form of the invention comprises treating red phosphorus by mixing it with a solution of soluble aluminate and aerating the mixture for several hours. In many cases superior results are attained when the mixture is heated during the aeration process.

I have determined that-any soluble aluminate of the alkali metals may be employedfor the purpose of the invention, such as sodium aluminate or potassium aluminate; and the following are examples of three substantially equivalent methods of obtainin suitable sodium aluminate' solutions for use in treating amorphous or red phosphorus to stabilize the same.

' SOLUTION A For the purpose referred to the solution may be prepared by combining aluminum sulfate and sodium hydroxide in combining proportions, To 2% cos. of normal sodium hydroxide there may be added a slight excess of ammonium aluminum sulfate until a slight permanent precipitate is I formed. This solution may be diluted in one liter, which, is equivalent to 0.04 normal (four hundredths normal) solution of sodium aluminate, and filtered. Instead of filtering, the solu- 'tion may be merely permitted to settle for several hours whereupon the supernatant liquid may be decanted; or the solution may be used without any clarification since a moderate amount of undissolved alumina in this form will do no harm.

The preparation or this solution will require about 19 grams of aluminum ammonium sulfate. and from this it may be calculated that the probable reactionis expressed in the following equation SOLUTION B SOLUTION C This solution may be prepared by merely dissolving 10 grams of commercially pure sodium aluminate in 1 liter of water. This solution likewise may he filtered; although the solution may be used without filtration if desired.

To demonstrate the invention the foregoing solutions were used to treat in each case two duplicate samples of amorphous or red phosphorus, and the treatment was identical in each case save for the use of the differently prepared sodium aluminate solutions. In each case 250 grams of finely ground red p s s t ining about 20% moisture was mixed with 500 cos.

of the solution. The mixture was agitated by passing a stream of air through a glass tube at 'the rate of about liters per hour. The mixture was heated to between 85 and 90 C. After heating and aerating for hours the phosphorus was-removed by filtration on a Buechner funnel, washed with hot water, and dried' under reduced pressure over calcium chloride. The two samples treated with Solution A are designated Al and A2; those treated with Solution B, BI and B2; and those treated with Solution 0, Cl and C2. I

Each of the six samples were exposed to air at controlled temperature and humidity. The temperature was 60 C. and the humidity was that of a saturated solution of sodium chloride at 60 C. These conditions were chosen to accelerate oxidation and accordingly shorten the required test periods. At regular intervals the acid was extracted from weighed portions of each sample with water and the acid so extracted was titrated with one-tenth normal sodium hydroxide and the percentage of acid (calculated as HaPOO is shown in the accompanying' drawing wherein the curves of the six samples here referred to are identified. The following table gives the acidity of the several samples after the lapse of various periods of time. i

Acidity calculated as Hal-O4 sample will 35$. 1 52. 3%. 3.

Per Per Par Par Per Per cent cm! cent cmt cent The following additional examples of treatments intended to provide stabilizing effects water. The water contained in the moist phosphorus was suflicient to dilute the solution to slightly over tenth normal. The mixture was vigorously aerated for 18 hours, at a temperature range between 20-25 C. 7

Curve G indicates the results obtained by preparing a mixture as described in connection with curve F, except that after removing about 40 grams of the phosphorus mixture aeration was continued for another 22 hours. making about 40 hours in all.

Curve ,H indicates the results obtained while working with a mixture prepared as in connection with curve F, except that the temperature was maintained in the region of 40 0., and the w aeration period was approximately 10 hours.

were conducted in the laboratory for comparison purposes:

100' grams of red phosphorus was boiled for 10 hours with 175 ccs. ofsodium carbonate in a one-tenth normal solution. This method was likewise can'ied on in duplicate and in one case titration of 100 cos. of the solution with 33.5 cos.

Percent Y Acidity 17 days 1 26 day 2 35 day 3 days- 5.75 day 8 of water. The suspension was heated to between 80 and 0., 50 cos. of a 1% ammonium aluminum sulfate solution was added, and the whole boiled for 6 hours. The phosphorus was then filtered off. washed, and dried in vacuo over calcium chloride. The degree of oxidation of phosphorus so treated over a period of time is Ecglicated by the curves El and E2 of the draw- Curve 1'' of the chart indicatesthe results obtained by making the 1% solution of pure sodium aluminate by dissolving 10 grams thereof in water and diluting it to one liter. The solution was slightly-turbid but was not nltered. 250 cc. of the solution wasmixed with grams 01' moist red phosphorus containing about 20% of 7 Curve I indicates the results obtained whenworking with mixtures as described in connection with curve H, except that the temperature was maintained at about 60 C. I

Curve X indicates the results obtained when working with a mixture as in connection with curve F, but without aeration. The time of treatment was approximately 72 hours.

In a further example, 8 grams of ammonium alum were added to a liter of one-tenth normal potassium hydroxide, and 250 grams of red or amorphous phosphorus was placed in 500- cc. of the resulting solution. The whole was aerated as before for 10 hours at 60 centigrade. Curve- L shows the reaction of phosphorus so treated to accelerated oxidation conditions.

To further test the efllcacy of the invention samples corresponding to samples Al; A2; Bi; f

B2; Cl and 02 were exposed to air for aperiod of several months under conditions tending to produce only normal oxidation rates. The average temperature at the time was around 21' C. The humidity was such as to represent a typical storage condition. At the end of 290 days the acidities were as follows:

. Per cent Al 1 ,5 A2 1 BI .05 B2 ..00 Cl .02 C2 ,os

Red phosphorus untreated in accord with the present invention and stored under the same conditions contained at the endof It is clearly possible to conclude from the results listed hereinabove that the combination of treatment witha soluble aluminate and acn tion produces marked increase of stabi ization ofthe phosphorus against oxidation. It is, of course, to be understood that the term "aeration"'refers to admixture of air into the phone phorus-aluminate mixture, such as may be accomplished either by blowing air' therethrough. or by simply' stirring the mixture in an atmoa-. phere of air," or by any other suitable method.

I claim:

1. A method of treating red phosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of sodium aluml nate in water, mixing red phosphorus therein,- aerating the same for at least several hours, re-

drying the same.

moving the phosphorus from the solution, and

2. A method of treating red phosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of sodium aluminate in water, mixing red phosphorus therein. aerating the same for at least iive hours, removing the phosphorus from the solution. and dryin: the same.

3. A method of treating red phosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of sodium aluminate in water, mixing red phosphorus therein, heating and aerating the mixture ior at least iive hours, removing. the phosphorus from the solution, and drying the seine. v i

4. A method oi treating redphosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of sodium aluminate in water, mixing red phosphorus re and aerating the mixture for a time sufieient to stabilize the phosphorus to a materially re duced rate of oxidation.

5. A method of treating red phosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of potassium aluminate in. water, mixing red phosphorus therein, aerating the mixture for at least several hours, removing the phosphorus from the solution, and drying the same.

6. A method or treating red phosphorus which.

comprises preparing a solution of potassium aluminate in water. mixing red phosphorus therein. aerating the mixture !or at least five phosphorus irom the solu- I hours, removing the tion. and drying the same.

aerating the mixture.

7. A method or treating red phosphorus which comprises mixing it into a solutionoi potassium eluminate and aerating themixture. 8. A method of treating red phosphoms which cient to stabilize the phosphorus to a materially reduced rate oi'oxidation. removing the phosphorus from the solution, and drying the same.

9. A. method or treating red phosphorus which comprises preparing a solution of potawum aluminate in water, mixing red phosphorus therein, heating and aerating the mixture. removing the phosphorus vfrom the solution, and drying the same.

10. A method or treating red phosphorus which comprises mixing it in a solution of sodium aluminate, heating and aerating the mixture. removing the phosphorus from the mixture, and drying the same.

ii. A method or treating and phosphorus to increase stabilization thereof against omdation, which method comprises mixing red phosphorus in a solution of soluble aluminaie, and aerating the mixture.

12; A method oitreating red phosphorus to increase. stabilization thereof against oxidati on, which method comprises mixing a solution oi alkali metal aluminate with the phosphorus, and

some 0. 

